UMass Football Travels To No. 17 Coastal Carolina On Saturday

University of Massachusetts Football Game Notes & Information
Game 4	Massachusetts (0-3) vs. No. 17/17 Coastal Carolina (3-0)
Date \| Time	Saturday, September 25 \| 1 p.m.
Location	Conway, S.C. \| Brooks Stadium \| Parking and Directions
Tickets	Purchase Tickets Here
Game Notes & Team Information	Massachusetts: Game Notes \| Game Program \| Record Book Coastal Carolina: Game Notes \| Media Guide
Watch	ESPN+
Listen	WHMP 101.5 FM, 1240AM & 1400AM \| WCRN 830 AM App: Download The Varsity Sports Network on your mobile device
Live Statistics	SIDEARM
Twitter	@UMassFootball \| @CoachWaltBell
Instagram	UMass Football
Facebook	UMass Football

THE SERIES WITH COASTAL CAROLINA

The Minutemen and Chants are meeting for just the fourth time in program history, with Coastal Carolina owning a 3-0 advantage in the all-time series. The teams are meeting for the fourth time in the last five seasons, and for the second time in Conway, S.C.

RANKED FOES

UMass will be taking on an FBS ranked opponent for the 15th time in team history on Saturday, and 10th time since transitioning to FBS in 2012. It marks the seventh time in the last seven seasons that the Minutemen will square off against a top-25 opponent.

THE QB ROOM: A MIX OF YOUNG AND OLD

The Minutemen's quarterback room features two freshmen (Zamar Wise and Brady Olson), two redshirt freshmen (Garrett Dzuro and Luke McMenamin) and one graduate student (Tyler Lytle).

Lytle (6'5'', 225-pounds from Redondo Beach, Calif.) played the 2017-19 seasons at the University of Colorado, appearing in seven career games, including four during 2018 and three in 2019.

In his first collegiate start on Sept. 4 at Pittsburgh, Lytle completed 14-of-31 passes for a career-high 167 yards, and also rushed for one touchdown against the Panthers.

Olson (6'4'', 200-poinds from Bellingham, Mass.), meanwhile, arrived at UMass as a three-star pro-style quarterback rated the No. 20 player in Massachusetts according to the 247Sports Composite listing, and a three-star QB according to ESPN and rated as the 15th-highest player in Massachusetts.

OLSON DAZZLES IN COLLEGIATE DEBUT

With Lytle out with an undisclosed injury for the last two weeks, Brady Olson stepped in against Boston College to make his first collegiate start, and earned the start for the Eastern Michigan game, as well.

Olson was 14-of-29 for 214 yards and three touchdowns, marking the first time a UMass quarterback has thrown for three touchdown passes since Ross Comis on Nov. 3, 2018 against Liberty.

He followed it up with a 22-of-38 performance with two touchdowns and an interception against Eastern Michigan last week, as well as a 25-yard reception on a pass thrown by Isaac Ross.

AIRING IT OUT

Through just three games, UMass quarterbacks have already completed passes to 14 different receivers, led by eight catches for 143 yards by Rico Arnold.

On Sept. 11 against Boston College, Brady Olson connected with Arnold for a 56-yard touchdown strike, the longest passing touchdown for the Minutemen since Nov. 9, 2019 at Army (Andrew Brito to Kyle Horn). The score was the longest of Arnold's career and his first touchdown since the 2018 season when he was playing at Charlotte.

MOVING THE CHAINS

The Massachusetts offense has shown its ability to move the ball in each of the last two games, highlighted by stacking up 519 yards of total offense last week against Eastern Michigan. It's the most total offense in a game since Nov. 3, 2018 in a triple overtime win against Liberty, and the most in regulation against an FBS opponent since Dec. 2, 2017 vs. FIU (548 yards).

UMass also recorded 30 first downs against the Eagles, which hasn't happened since that Liberty game, and hasn't happened in regulation against an FBS opponent since Oct. 21, 2017 against Georgia Southern (33).

ELLIS MERRI' GO 'ROUND

Redshirt junior Ellis Merriweather carried the load in the backfield for the Minutemen in 2020, rushing 42 times for 115 yards (42% of the team's total rushing yards) in his first season after transferring from Garden City Community College.

Merriweather will be aided this season by Rutgers transfer Kay'Ron Adams. Adams played two seasons with the Scarlet Knights in 2019 and 2020, compiling 320 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 83 carries in 18 career games, in addition to six catches for 120 yards and a touchdown.

With Adams out with an undisclosed injury each of the last two weeks, Merriweather has been the go-to back, and ran for a career-high 144 yards on 23 carries against Eastern Michigan last week. It was the most yards on the ground since Bilal Ally against UConn on Oct. 26, 2019 (159 yards). Merriweather is the only player on the UMass roster with a 100-yard rushing game to his name.

TO THE HOUSE! (TWICE)

Josiah Johnson had a pair of touchdowns for Massachusetts last weekend against Eastern Michigan: a one-yard dash into the end zone in the second quarter before hauling in a 29-yard pass from Brady Olson late in regulation.

He's the first Minuteman with a rushing and a receiving touchdown in the same game against an FBS opponent since Marquis Young on Dec. 2, 2017 vs. FIU.

O-C, TRIPLE O-C

After seeing his streak of 17 straight games with a catch come to an end against Boston College on Sept. 11, wide receiver Jermaine "OC" Johnson, Jr. got back on track with a grab against Eastern Michigan. He has at least one catch in 18 of his 19 career games.

BIG PLAYS

Through three games, UMass already has 15 plays go for 20 or more yards on offense (five rushes, seven passes, three kick returns).

BALL!

The Minutemen have been quick to pounce on the loose ball so far this season, recording two fumble recoveries in each of the first two games and another last week against EMU.

It was the first time in the FBS era, and first time overall since 2009, that Massachusetts has logged two fumble recoveries in each of its first two games of the year.

It was also the first time since Oct. 21, 2017 (Georgia Southern) and Oct. 28, 2017 (Appalachian State) that the Minutemen recorded at least two fumble recoveries in consecutive games.

Avien Peah, Uchenna Ezewike, Bryson Richardson, Javon Batten and Viczaril Alobwede all have recoveries this season for UMass, making the Minutemen tied for second in the nation in fumble recoveries and tied for 45th in the NCAA in turnovers gained.

UMass has at least one takeaway in 26 of the last 29 games dating back to Sept. 8, 2018 at Georgia Southern. The lone exceptions in the span is the Sept. 14, 2019 game against Charlotte, Nov. 7, 2020 at No. 16/15 Marshall and Nov. 27, 2020 at RV/RV Liberty.

ON THE HUNT

Freshman linebacker Gerrell Johnson had a game-high 13 tackles (five solo, eight assisted) on Sept. 11 against Boston College. He is the only active player on the roster with a 10+ tackle game in his career.

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